title: Cx32 and Cx47 mediate oligodendrocyte:astrocyte and oligodendrocyte:oligodendrocyte gap junction coupling.
abstract: In addition to the extensive gap junction coupling between astrocytes themselves, oligodendrocytes are thought to be exclusively coupled to astrocytes (O:A coupling) via heterotypic gap junctions composed of Cx47:Cx43 and Cx32:Cx30. We used fluorescent dyes to examine functional coupling in acute slices from the cerebra of mice lacking Cx32 and/or Cx47. In the corpus callosum, unexpectedly, oligodendrocytes appeared to be directly and exclusively coupled to other oligodendrocytes (O:O coupling), and electron microscopy revealed gap junctions between adjacent oligodendrocytes. O:O coupling was more affected in mice lacking Cx32 than in mice lacking Cx47. In the neocortex, oligodendrocytes appeared to be directly and exclusively coupled to astrocytes; Cx47, but not Cx32, was required for O:A coupling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104–6077, USA. swasseff@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Sameh K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Wasseff
authors.forename: Steven S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Scherer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D017630:Connexins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000378:metabolism; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D019579:Neocortex / Q000378:metabolism; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097002:Gap Junction beta-1 Protein
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D000097002:Gap Junction beta-1 Protein; C427305:connexin 47